Grants and Writing Resources for Radford University

The Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia chose 28 projects statewide for its second Undergraduate Research Showcase, held at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond early in 2026, and three Radford undergraduates were selected to present. A senior in geospatial and earth sciences used geospatial analysis and statistical modeling to test how land use and precipitation affect water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. A sophomore and a senior analyzed Virginia 211 data on community needs and service access in rural localities.

Money for Undergraduate Research

For a project at its start, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (OURS) offers a Student Seed Grant of up to $500 toward new mentored work, for supplies, research travel, software or access fees, and equipment the campus lacks. Conference trips come from a separate fund. Undergraduate Research Travel Awards cover up to $750 per student and $1,500 per project for presenting research or creative work, in person or online, and OURS prints research posters free.

Summer is the larger commitment. Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships pay the student $6,000 and the faculty mentor $1,500, with supply money as the project needs it, for 30 hours a week over 10 weeks. The 2025 list named 22 students on 20 projects. Incoming students with a 3.50 GPA can apply to Highlander Research Rookies, which pairs them with a faculty mentor after a three-credit fall class and pays $1,000 at the end of each of their first four semesters.

Where Student Work Appears

OURS lists its 35th annual Student Engagement Forum for April, with poster sessions, oral talks and showcases. A winter event, Creative Activities and Research Days, follows in December. Students who complete two semesters of mentored work, present or publish it, and write a reflection can earn the Undergraduate Research Scholar designation on their transcript, named for their discipline.

The Highlander Research Blitz gives each finalist three minutes and one static slide to explain a project to a general audience. Graduate prizes run from $1,000 for first place down to $250 for fourth and fifth. Student creative work appears in Exit 109, the literary and creative arts magazine of Highlander Student Media.

Graduate Funding and Awards

The Office of Graduate Affairs lists assistantships and travel money on one page. Graduate Teaching Fellows serve as professors of record for introductory courses, usually in their second year, and earn $13,673 a year. Teaching and research assistants earn $6,401.45 to $12,802.90 a year and receive 18 in-state tuition credits. Students presenting at professional conferences or pursuing academic research can request up to $600 in travel funding per academic year. Radford also offers the COVES Policy Fellowship, a 12-week placement advising Virginia policymakers on science and technology, hosted by the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.

The Outstanding Graduate Student Awards recognize categories that include Outstanding Doctoral Graduate Student, Outstanding Online Graduate Student and Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant/Fellow. Self-nominations are accepted. For 2027 the office lists $1,000 for the winner in each category.

Writing Help and Theses

The Harvey Center for Learning and Writing, on the fourth floor of McConnell Library, books student writing tutors for any class and any stage of a draft. Sessions cover getting started, drafting and organizing, revising and editing, and citation or formatting, in person or virtually. All Harvey Center services are free to Radford students.

Graduate students follow the thesis and dissertation guidelines and the preparation manual. Send the Format Reviewer a complete draft and allow at least two weeks for formatting. The reviewer then places the final paper in the McConnell Library Scholars' Repository, which holds theses and dissertations by Radford graduate and undergraduate students and can be browsed by college, Honors College included.

Before a thesis goes to the Format Reviewer or a paper goes out to a conference, our editors can give it a final edit for grammar, consistency and format. See our Radford University dissertation and thesis editing and Radford University essay editing pages, or write to editors@editorsforstudents.com.

From Our Writing Guides

• The Secret to Better Grades: Starting Your Writing Process Early
• Writing the Abstract and Title: First Impressions Matter
• The Literature Review: Avoiding Intellectual Overwhelm